MEMBER DIARY

Now that the dust is beginning to settle following the Senates cloture vote on the Gang of 8 amnesty bill a backlash against the Republicans that voted for it is starting to materialize. Coupled with a desire among the GOP base to punish certain Republican lawmakers for their votes in favor of reckless spending there is a real possibility that the 2014 Republican primaries could be a bloodbath for wayward Republicans and the GOP moderate-liberal establishment.

The Daily Caller has the following from Tea Party Patriots Jenny Beth Martin:

Sixty-four percent of our local coordinators predict primary challengers for those who vote ‘Yes’ on the amnesty bill,” said Jenny Beth Martin, the national coordinator for Tea Party Patriots.

“In a conference call with Tea Party Patriots local coordinators this week, 99 percent of them opposed the Corker-Hoeven amendment, and are disturbed at the overall bill-making process,” Martin said.

“Like Obamacare, this bill is too massive, offers special interest kickbacks and perks, has no measurable or enforceable border security, no one has had time to read what’s in it, and the final Senate vote will likely happen under cover of darkness,” she said.

Already there is an effort ongoing in Arizona to recall Gang of 8 members Senator’s John McCain and Jeff Flake over their amnesty bill.

It is not just Republicans who favor amnesty who face the possibility of being challenged. Months ago the Club for Growth came out with a list of House Republicans that they actively want to see primaried, including my congressman Adam Kinzinger, over their habit of voting for more spending. It should be noted that the Illinois Tea Party worked tirelessly in the 2012 primary to unseat Kinzinger and is talking about doing the same in 2014.

In addition to those possible challenges to incumbent Republicans in the House and Senate there has been a long standing push my Tea Party activist in Kentucky to primary Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell.

In a story that ran last month WWE wrestler “Kane” is thinking about running in the GOP primary against Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander(this as before Lamar voted for the Gang of 8). Please note the Kane, real name Glenn Jacobs, self identifies himself as a Libertarian.

There are dozens of conservative and Tea Party groups and organizations seeking to primary various wayward Republican lawmakers and every one of them is right to do so. This effort is going to make the first half of next year a very interesting, and busy, time. Hopefully in the course of all these we end up with many more Ted Cruz’s and Mike Lee’s taking out the preferred candidates of the GOP establishment.